


come back to shore

by Forlorn Kumquat (sara_wolfe)



Category: Charmed (TV 2018)
Genre: Charmed Secret Santa, F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-09-26 01:45:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 788
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17132699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sara_wolfe/pseuds/Forlorn%20Kumquat
Summary: Niko gets stranded in Hilltowne - but it might not be an accident.





	come back to shore

Niko hated snow. 

It was cold, it was wet, and the streets were covered in ice. And her car had skidded across a patch of black ice three blocks back before blowing a tire and stranding her in the middle of some empty Hilltowne neighborhood. And to top it all off, her cell phone was dead. 

So, now she found herself precariously making her way down an icy sidewalk in heels and a skirt, because she had been headed to dinner with her parents and her mother always insisted on Niko dressing up. And of course she hadn’t brought any other shoes, because sneakers were anathema to her parents and she hadn’t wanted to start an argument. And it had been fine when she thought that she’d only be walking around a nice warm house, but it was miserable now that she was out slogging through freezing snow.

The wind kicked up, knocking her back a couple of steps, and Niko hunched over hugging herself in an attempt to try and retain some heat. She’d tried knocking on a couple of doors when she first started walking, but no one had answered. The other houses she passed by were dark and lifeless. Everyone, it seemed, had gone away for Christmas this year, probably to somewhere a hell of a lot warmer than here. 

Finally, she saw an old Victorian up the street with lights blazing. Eagerly picking up the pace, Niko had just reached the walkway when her foot hit a hidden patch of ice on the sidewalk. For a moment, she had the feeling of being completely airborne, and then she crashed down to the ground, landing face-first in a snowbank. 

Everything was muffled until she lifted her head out of the snow, and then Niko heard a frantic voice behind her, “Oh my god, are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Niko mumbled into the snow. “I’m just going to give up and live here for the rest of my life.”

But, when the person behind her grabbed her shoulders to pull her to her feet, Niko pushed herself to a standing position. Futilely trying to brush snow off her clothes, she turned around to face her rescuer. 

“Thanks for the hand-” Niko started, but then she broke off when she realized that the other woman was staring at her in stunned shock. “Everything okay?”

“F-fine,” the woman stammered, quickly. “Um, did you want to come inside real quick and dry off?”

“Yes, please,” Niko said, gratefully. “And can I use your phone, too? My car broke down back down the road, and I want to call a tow truck.” As she followed the other woman carefully up the walkway to the front door, she held her hand out. “I’m Niko, by the way, and thanks.”

“No problem,” the woman said, smiling tightly.

She reached out to shake Niko’s hand, a spark jumping between their fingers and making both of them jump. And then her hand closed over Niko’s, palm to palm, and everything went white. Niko felt like she’d been hit by a lightning bolt, and when she could see again, it was her turn to stare in shock.

“Mel?” she demanded, incredulously. 

Mel opened and closed her mouth a couple of times like she was trying to think of something to say. Finally, she settled on a particularly vehement, “Fuck.”

“What the hell is going on?” Niko demanded, but rather than answering, Mel grabbed her by the hand and dragged her up the stairs and into the house. 

She didn’t let go of Niko even after she’d pulled her into the living room, where her sisters were sitting with a strange blonde woman. “The spell wore off,” she rambled. “It wore off when Niko and I touched hands, and she remembers me-”

“And you’re talking about magic right in front of her,” Macy pointed out, gently. “Good to see you again, Niko.”

“Hi, Niko,” Maggie chimed in, from her spot on the couch. “Mel, we’re kind of on a time crunch right now.”

“Right,” Mel said. Turning to Niko, she added, “I know you have a million questions, and I swear I will answer all of them as soon as I can, but right now we’re dealing with something huge, and-”

“And you need to focus,” Niko finished for her. “I’m going to be in the kitchen fixing myself a drink, and we’ll talk when you’re done.” When Mel didn’t look convinced, Niko leaned over and gave her a soft kiss. “I love you,” she said, quietly, “and no matter what’s going on, I’m not going anywhere.”

“I love you, too,” Mel said, a shaky smile on her face. “No matter what, I love you, too.”


End file.
